Ready for Production

An existing logistics building with 4,000 m² of floor space has been converted for bipolar plate production. All production processes are conducted under clean room conditions with the strictest cleanliness requirements.

The plates are cut and formed in two large presses and then cleaned, welded, and coated. With the first metallic bipolar plates rolling off the line this year, the full capacity of eight million annually will be reached in 2024.

The plates are used to make fuel-cell stacks, which generate electricity. These stacks are mainly used in fuel-cell drives for hydrogen-powered vehicles, with up to 900 metallic bipolar plates needed for each vehicle.

Metallic Bipolar Plates

Fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy in a cold combustion process. In addition to electricity, the reaction’s only other byproducts are water and heat. The bipolar plate maintains the optimal distribution and balance of hydrogen, oxygen, and coolant.

The fuel cell is made up of fuel cell stacks which consist of bipolar plates and a membrane electrode assembly. The electrical energy to propel the hydrogen vehicles is generated in the fuel cell stacks. The challenge is to develop and produce a compact, durable, and cost-effective bipolar plate in order to make the fuel cell viable for the mass market.

By placing the metallic bipolar plate into mass production, Dana is helping to develop the growing global hydrogen-powered mobility industry.

 

Ready for the Future

In addition to the new high-volume line, Dana’s Neu-Ulm operation is running a smaller production line with a capacity of 800,000 plates per year. Dana will continue to use this line to produce bipolar plates according to individual customer specifications.

By expanding metallic bipolar plate production, Dana is making steady progress in its transformation to sustainable mobility solutions. The company is making use of unique technological features and competitive advantages from internal-combustion engines to develop innovations for the electrification of mobility – from battery to fuel-cell technology.

 

More information on metallic bipolar plates from Dana can be found at www.dana.com/product/metallic-bipolar-plates.

PACCAR is a leading global manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks and commercial vehicles, which includes the Peterbilt, Kenworth and DAF brands.

The PACCAR 10 PPM (Parts Per Million) Award is given to suppliers who have provided outstanding quality in their products and services during a one-year period. To receive the award, suppliers must achieve a very low reclamation rate of only 10 parts per million or less. 

All awards >>

The enhanced bipolar plates were presented for the first time at Dana’s stand at the world's leading trade fair for industry, the Hannover Messe (Hall 13, Stand E03) from April 17th to 21st, 2023.

The advanced bipolar plates are currently in prototype tests with global manufacturers of electrolyzers and electrolysis stacks. The plates should be ready for commercial production by mid-2024.

 

Hydrogen pioneer

Dana has been developing and producing components for fuel cell stacks used in mobile applications and much more. At their core, fuel cell stacks are made up of as many as several hundred metallic bipolar plates. These stacks produce the energy for fuel cell electric drives.

The integrated bipolar plates made of steel or titanium improve the stacks’ efficiency thanks to a special flow field design and lower electrical losses. For coating and sealing the plates, Dana relies on the gasket experts at REINZ-Dichtungs-GmbH of Neu-Ulm, a subsidiary of Dana Incorporated.

 

From 2 to 8 million

Dana is the only supplier that produces both metallic and graphite composite designs. The company will be shipping nearly two million bipolar plates with integrated sealing systems and coatings this year – a reliable and cost-effective product solution for a wide range of innovative fuel cell drives.

To satisfy the rising worldwide demand, Dana is expanding the largest production line for metallic bipolar plates in Europe at REINZ-Dichtungs-GmbH in Neu-Ulm. The plant can produce up to eight million metallic bipolar plates a year and is planning to commence with serial production this year.

More information on Dana’s solutions for next-generation metallic bipolar plates can be found at www.dana.com/product/metallic-bipolar-plates.

 

As a matter of fact, the customer had no complaints in 2021 at all. In addition, PACCAR has commemorated Dana as “Supplier Performance Management Leader 2021.” Most of the deliveries were made from Neu-Ulm. 

Ford plants in Dagenham, UK, and Craiova, Romania, have congratulated Neu-Ulm for having had zero complaints. GM Korea, Customer Care & Aftersales (GM’s own aftermarket parts organization) has praised the company for its punctual deliveries.

In addition, GM honored the Neu-Ulm facility with the "Supplier Quality Excellence Award" - an award for the fulfillment of a wide variety of quality criteria. And now for the sixth time in a row.
Furthermore, Neu-Ulm has a large contribution in the "GM Overdrive Award" for Dana.

Finally, Dana is celebrating the Excellent Quality Performance Award from its customer Toyota.

Check Awards >>

 

Designed to resemble a motorsports pit lane, Dana’s 240 square-meter conference booth at Stand G91 in Hall 3.0, will feature abroad range of aftermarket solutions and highlight Dana’s passion for the aftermarket business and its successful transformation toward clean-energy technologies.

Dana TM4^® electric and hybrid drive systems are already setting standards in mobile electrification today. While Dana’s development and production of metallic bipolar plates have been a big step forward in the efficiency of fuel-cell electric drives.

Therefore, Dana’s focus on sustainability will be prominently featured in the stand.

NEW: Reinzosil^® in the Cartridge

Victor Reinz^® will be presenting its universal sealing compound, Reinzosil^®, in cartridge form for the first time at Automechanika. The 310-milliliter cartridge eliminates hazardous materials and does not require special labeling. In this new form of packaging, Reinzosil has been approved for worldwide shipping without any restrictions — by regular mail, ocean, and air freight.

Reinzosil is perfect for large-scale applications and meets the requirements of customers from truck workshops. The sealing compound can withstand temperatures of up to +320 °C for short periods of time and has been tested as “sensor safe”. Thanks to the plastic cartridge, the minimum shelf life is twelve months.

Dana’s pit lane at Automechanika will be easy to spot as it will feature a large Reinzosil cartridge to show visitors the way.

NEW: Interactive PDF Catalogs with Product Images in Color

With its interactive PDF catalogs, Dana has created a new way to clearly identify the right spare Victor Reinz product from a selection of more than 17,000 service parts. There are 58 interactive PDFs.

NEW: Complete Cummins Line from three to 16 Liters

Dana’s goal is to offer the Victor Reinz product range worldwide. The most recent addition to its global customer reach in this area has been to include spare parts offering for engines from U.S. manufacturer Cummins. The Victor Reinz brand now covers the complete engine series from engine displacements of three to 16 liters.

NEW: Ready for 24-hour ReadyShaft^™ Service

The ReadyShaft™ service delivers spare parts from the entire Spicer on-highway driveshaft portfolio to any location in Europe within 24 hours.

It doesn’t matter where the part is needed — be it in the shop or on-site where the truck broke down. The entire ordering and tracking process takes place online.

The Spicer sales team will be at Automechanika to answer any questions about the launch of the Spicer ReadyShaft program and the entire Dana team is looking forward to finally welcoming visitors and customers again for a personal exchange at Automechanika in Frankfurt.

 

Dana at Automechanika 2022

From September 13 to 17, 2022 in Frankfurt am Main

Hall 3.0 Stand G91

Victor Reinz has been a Certified Data Supplier (CDS) for over ten years. The company also holds the newly introduced status of Premier Data Supplier (PDS) and thus meets TecDoc’s highest quality standards.

Folding, transporting, placing, unfolding

Dana’s innovative battery-housing gasket is folded for transport to match the size of European pallets to a maximum size of 1,100 mm x 700 mm, making it especially useful for logistics and assembly.  The gasket simply needs to be placed on the battery housing – and is unfolded using a installation fixture.  There is no risk of assembling the gasket incorrectly. The Victor Reinz® folding gasket from Dana is already being used to seal the battery housings of vehicles in Europe and North America that are at the verge of introduction to the market.

Uninterruptible and self-extinguishing

The battery-housing gasket is a flat gasket made from a supporting sheet with a dual-sided elastomer seal. The seal and the folding elements form a circumferential and uninterruptible gasket profile around the entire rim of the battery housing.

The polymer is extruded with the edge molding process and features self-extinguishing properties. The folding gasket complies with the important regulation, UL94, where the polymer must self-extinguish within seconds. To further improve corrosion protection, each bolting location is also able to be sealed.

Folding instead of piecing together

When compared to other technical solutions such as pieced together and fluid seals, the folding gasket from Dana has a clear advantage. 

The gasket is supplied as a single piece, eliminating the time-consuming and fault-prone piecing together of the individual gasket parts. The flexible elastomer folding elements are much more stable, withstand tensile, bending, and shearing forces, compensating for tolerances in the millimeter range and ensuring they remain securely in position. The gasket’s continuous sealing contour, without any cut, protects against potential leaking points due to bulging and elongation. If repairs are needed, the folding gasket can be removed and replaced without damaging the battery housing.

If the battery housing gasket is already pre-assembled by the supplier of the battery housing cover, Dana equips the gasket with additional insertion studs for the cover, as desired by the customer.

Key advantages of the battery housing gasket from Dana:

• Can be used for almost any battery housing
• Standardized logistics on European pallets using 3-D folding
• Faultless assembly with the fixture without piecing together
• Uninterruptible gasket profile
• Tolerance compensation through flexible elastomer folding elements
• Minimized risk of leakage
• Already being used by customers for vehicles awaiting their immediate launch

Dana’s metallic bipolar plates are an integral component in the fuel cell stack and deliver improved cost, performance, and seamless assembly, aiding OEMs in realizing commercialization of fuel-cell-powered mobility.

The Bosch overall fuel cell stack system know-how will enable both companies to further improve the bipolar plates design for further generations with regards to cost competitiveness and performance. Furthermore, Bosch contributes strong process competence in mass production, especially on laser welding, testing, and automation concepts. This will support a successful launch of the serial production of bipolar plates.

To address increasing market demand, the total production volume will exceed 100 million metallic bipolar plates for Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America. The plates are expected to support fuel-cell powertrains for commercial-vehicle applications beginning in 2022.

“Dana has innovated a game-changing metallic bipolar plate technology that is helping customers deliver zero-emission, fuel-cell powered vehicles at a cost that enables market adoption today,” said Antonio Valencia, president of Dana Power Technologies and Global Electrification.  “This agreement demonstrates our ability to deliver a market-ready metallic bipolar plate that eliminates the traditional cost, complexity, and performance barriers, which is a crucial step for the growth of the fuel-cell market.”

The highly durable bipolar plate is designed to meet the extreme demands for sealing, coating, and absolute precision of the extra-fine embossing structures.

In addition, Dana’s fully integrated, high-speed forming process further enables high-volume production efficiency at a lower cost, as well as driving increased power density.

Bipolar plates are an integral component for enhancing the performance of the fuel cell stack and depending on the application and the customer’s specification, Dana offers both metallic and composite plates.

 

“The global fuel-cell market is gaining momentum as the mobility industry transitions to zero-emission vehicles,” said Antonio Valencia, president of Dana Power Technologies. “For more than two decades, Dana has been leveraging its engineering expertise to deliver award-winning technology that is critical to the fuel cell stack. Our global presence and manufacturing prowess enable our customers to meet their emission, quality, reliability, and cost requirements.”

 

Manufactured using the company’s patented integrated sealing technology and in-line conductive coating, Dana’s ultra-thin metallic bipolar plates deliver superior power density, reliability, and durability and can cut fuel cell stack costs by up to 10 percent. These metallic plates were named a finalist for the 2020 Automotive News PACE Awards and were recognized by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) with a 2019 FCH Award in the Best Success Story category as part of the INSPIRE Project.  Dana is one of ten partners in the INSPIRE project, which develops innovative stack components for fuel cells with high power densities.

 

Dana’s composite bipolar plate assemblies provide a reliable, high-performing, and cost-effective solution for fuel cell stacks.  They deliver improved performance and manufacturability, aiding original-equipment manufacturers in realizing commercialization of fuel cell-powered mobility.

TecAlliance, known as an international leader and trusted source in data, processes, and integrated solutions for the automotive aftermarket, publishes the TecDoc Catalog, a world-leading, automotive aftermarket catalog. TecDoc offers customers an easy way to access a list of spare parts available for more than 110,000 vehicle types. More than 500 data suppliers (manufacturers of spare parts for the automotive industry) contribute articles and linkage data to the digital catalog, including Dana.

To ensure the highest quality data is being delivered to its customers, TecAlliance evaluates suppliers’ comprehensive parts information in its TecDoc Catalog on a quarterly basis. Evaluations examine seven key performance indicators (KPIs), with suppliers needing to fulfill 99 percent or higher of each KPI to be considered a certified data supplier. KPIs include things like whether the text modules have been translated into six core languages and the rate of incorrect data being reported, among others. With a vested interest in ensuring high quality data and trust in its products, Victor Reinz has continued to exceed expectations by fulfilling 100 percent of TecAlliance’s CDS criteria.

Because Victor Reinz scores so high against TecAlliance’s KPIs, customers can be assured Dana’s information is accurate, comprehensive, and easily searchable. Victor Reinz credits much of its continued leading supplier position to growing and aligning its quality part data/information with TecAlliance’s years ago.

In fact, Victor Reinz has been a TecAlliance member since its founding, also participating as a shareholder. More than 16,000 Victor Reinz parts are included in the TecDoc Catalog.

The new development is focused on high-tolerance accuracy and ensures the components perfectly enclose the exhaust manifold and turbocharger.

Dana supplies the six components individually, except the backplate, which is already connected to the exhaust manifold gasket. Jaguar assembles the package in a defined installation order. The heat shields can also be disassembled individually if maintenance is necessary.

For production, Dana uses a three-in-one tool, which presses the plates for three different heat shields with a single stroke.

Service, trust, references and competitiveness

“Managing heat and noise remain two very important areas for our customers as they look to deliver the highest quality driving experience,” explains Christian Dahl, project manager original equipment sales. “Dana is able to offer custom-designed thermal acoustical shielding solutions that are seamlessly integrated into compact spaces while taking full advantage of our advanced manufacturing capabilities to deliver it at competitive prices.”

Then as now
Since 1947, the company’s headquarters has been located in Neu-Ulm, Germany and has developed steadily. With more than 1,300 employees, REINZ-Dichtungs-GmbH is a subsidiary of Dana Incorporated – a global company with 36,000 employees on six contents. It is now one of the largest and best-known employers in the region. The brand name Victor Reinz^® stands for innovative gasket technologies with the highest quality standards, then and now.

Innovations for the future
Almost all well-known brands and models of car manufacturers worldwide are equipped with professional Victor Reinz sealing solutions for the engine and exhaust system.

Since the beginning of the development of metallic bipolar plates in 2001, the company has been an innovative pioneer in the field of fuel cell technology and won the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Award in the category "Best Success Story" with its product development in 2019. It was also recognized as a 2020 finalist for the prestigious Automotive News PACE Awards.

The wide range of innovative Victor Reinz^® sealing products is not only favored by the European automotive industry, but also lead the market in many industrial product areas.

"We connect the proud tradition of our now 100-year-old success story to the people and their experiences that have left their mark on the company over this long period. This is what we are building on with our innovative and future-compliant products, together for and with our customers”, declares the Dana Neu-Ulm Managing Director Frank Bader, who has formed the management duo together with Olivier Lassurguère, since 2019.

"Dana Incorporated has the aim of being one of the world's leading automotive suppliers for another 100 years", states Olivier Lassurguère. "Our vision is to collaborate with the automobile manufacturers to shape the engine of the future."

The FCH Award recognizes outstanding projects and developments in the field of fuel cells that reduce production costs, speed up manufacturing, develop new materials, increase performance, and demonstrate the reliability of hydrogen energy.

Dana is one of nine partners in the INSPIRE project, which develops innovative stack components for fuel cells with high power densities. One of the project goals was to develop a cost-effective and competitive bipolar plate.  The results of the INSPIRE project demonstrate Dana’s ability to deliver a market-ready metallic bipolar plate that will be important for the growth of the fuel-cell market.

The metallic bipolar plate developed by Dana is a key enabling component for the INSPIRE project’s stack, which delivers an industry-leading power density of 5.7 kilowatts per liter and over 1.5 W/cm², exceeding the group’s original target and surpassing the currently available fuel cell cars, which have a power density of approximately 3 to 4 kilowatts per liter.

The highly durable bipolar plate from Dana is designed to meet the extreme demands for sealing, coating, and absolute precision of the extra-fine embossing structures. 

"Receiving the 2019 FCH Award  is an excellent achievement for Dana and the INSPIRE team and recognizes the significant accomplishments of the project to deliver a highly capable and more cost-effective fuel-cell stack," said Steven Monte,  vice president of advanced technologies and strategic planning for Dana’s Power Technologies group.  "Both the function of the bipolar plate and the resulting power density of 1.5 W/cm² and 5.7 kW/l are critically important for advancing fuel cell powertrains in the market."

Dana is one of the pioneers in the research and development of fuel cell technology. Original equipment manufacturers around the world are already using Dana’s bipolar plates in fuel-cell technology as an energy source or range extender in mobile applications.

Dana’s metallic bi-polar plates were recently named a finalist for the 2020 Automotive News PACE Awards. The winners are expected to be announced in March.

It is the AFM 5 gasket material, which has already proven itself in numerous races and is used especially for this purpose.  The tests with the new 2019 model were also successful. AFM 5 is manufactured in the Neu-Ulm plant of Dana Incorporated, REINZ-Dichtungs-GmbH. The sealing material is metal-reinforced and designed to withstand high heat and pressure.  AFM 5 is therefore perfectly suited for use in turbochargers and exhaust systems.

The Formula Student is an international design competition with 14 competitions worldwide and more than 800 teams competing against each other in their self-constructed racing cars.  The teams, including the “KA-RaceIng”-Team, consist exclusively of students.

The Formula Student racing series are about overall performance.  In five dynamic and three static disciplines the teams have to prove themselves in front of an experienced jury. The race performance, an in-depth understanding of the theory and detailed financial planning play an important role.

In 2018, Dana invested a total of 13.5 million euros to expand production of cylinder-head gaskets and transmission valve body separator plates.  This investment created 60 new jobs.  With the new, fully automated coating and assembly lines, as well as the new press line, Dana is creating additional capacities for cylinder-head gaskets for use in internal combustion engines.

“We are providing additional resources and production capacities to optimally serve our customers' increased market share and continuous sales growth in the engine production segment,” said Stefan Genelin, head of automotive products for Dana Power Technologies, Neu-Ulm site.  “Thanks to the new production lines, we can produce a cylinder-head gasket every 1.86 seconds”.

The new coating line, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, punches the gasket blanks directly from the coil.  They are then washed, pre-treated, primed, coated, dried, and vulcanized – all fully automatic – with the highest quality.  From these semi-finished products, the sealing layers for the proven Victor Reinz^® multi-layer steel cylinder-head gaskets are punched out, embossed, and stacked.  Finally, the gaskets are riveted on the new assembly line.  The latest camera technology is used for automatic quality control.

The new production lines supplement current operations and expand production capacity by increasing the level of automation, including improved product quality and competitiveness.

In addition to investments in the production of cylinder-head gaskets, a new washing area and cleanroom were built for the manufacture of transmission plates for automatic and dual-clutch transmissions.

The new operations can also be used in the future to manufacture components for battery-powered or fuel cell-powered electric vehicles.

Read more at:
https://www.springerprofessional.de/rolling-diaphragm-for-cleaning-blow-by-gas/16461254

This certificate is an extension of the basic standard ISO 9001 and contains special process specifications for automotive manufacturers. The required automotive-specific quality standards apply across the entire supply chain of the automotive industry. The goal of IATF 16949 is to document supplier quality in a verifiable manner thereby strengthening the trust base of the customers even further than previously. IATF stands for International Automotive Task Force, a consortium of the leading automotive manufacturers and associations.

“After implementing a strict action plan, we are now the proud owners of the IATF certificate,” says Willi Gaier, Head of Quality Management at Dana in Neu-Ulm, Germany.

“The certification is a basic requirement for Reinz-Dichtungs-GmbH. Without IATF 16949, you as a supplier are virtually excluded from supplying an automobile manufacturer (OEM), this also applies to new orders,” the quality expert continues.

The quality management under the direction of Willi Gaier had to first filter the newly added requirements of the IATF and then compare them with the existing processes in the company. “In most cases we were already compliant with the standard, we had to install new processes or adapt process technologies in one position or another,” says Willi Gaier. “Overall, we didn't sweat in the course of the five-day audit.”

One of the special requirements of the automotive industry is the sampling after a production stop for more than one or two years - and even longer, depending on the customer. A matter of course for Reinz-Dichtungs-GmbH: The current parts catalog goes back to cylinder head gaskets from the 1950s.

The IATF 16949 certificate is valid for three years and must be confirmed annually by IATF-certified auditors. After expiration a re-certification is necessary.

The award was granted in the framework of the 2018 EME Supplier Day at the AGCO plant of combine harvester production in Breganze, Italy, under the motto “We strive for perfect partnerships”. Volker Just, Key Account Manager, accepted the award for Dana Neu-Ulm.

AGCO is one of the worldwide leading manufactures of agricultural machines and tractors with the known brand Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®.


Teuvo Mehtanen, Director Purchasing, AGCO Power

“Reinz-Dichtungs-GmbH is a company very close to AGCO and who ensures with its gaskets that everything stays in place as it should – whether pressure, oil or temperature. Not only do they give AGCO high priority and work closely with our engineers and researchers, they also ensure year after year outstanding quality with zero ppm values and 100% compliance with requirements. Dana/Reinz is a partner who supports AGCO with the latest innovations and manufacturing processes and who also supports its customers in markets where there is a lot of competition”.


Given priority

For Dana/Reinz, the AGCO “Partner” status means more than just an award for a long-standing collaboration that began in the 1970s and has been very intensive and successful for 15 years.

“Being a Partner means that we are given priority in inquiries, especially for new developments, and are the first supplier to be approached. This means that we are involved in new projects very early on and always get the chance to submit our offer early”, explains Volker Just, Key Account Manager, about the benefits.

Currently Dana/Reinz supplies the motors of AGCO among others with three-layer metal cylinder head gaskets featuring wave stopper technology and exhaust manifold gaskets.


About AGCO

AGCO Your Agriculture Company (NYSE: AGCO) is one of the worldwide leading companies in the areas of development, production and sales of agricultural machines. AGCO supports productivity increase in agriculture with its comprehensive range of products and associated services. The agricultural products from AGCO are sold under the five core brands Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra® with the support of Fuse®, precision technology and agricultural optimization services. AGCO was founded in 1990 and has its corporate headquarters in Duluth, Georgia, U.S. In 2017, AGCO produced net sales of 8.3 billion U.S. dollars.

www.AGCOcorp.com

To help the project advance toward fuel-cell stack commercialization, Dana designed and optimized its metallic bipolar plate to meet cost and performance targets for early market entry.  The company will display its latest fuel-cell technologies at Hannover Messe 2018, April 23-27, in Hannover, Germany.

Fuel cells offer a clean energy alternative for today’s vehicles and are considered a great power source for vehicles with long range requirements, such as delivery trucks, city buses, and passenger cars, as they can be rapidly refueled.  The Autostack Industry project is focused on decreasing the cost and improving the quality of fuel cells to further the opportunity for large-scale production.

“Dana leverages the latest research in new energy solutions to introduce cutting-edge fuel-cell components, assisting the industry in moving toward commercializing automotive fuel cells,” said Dwayne Matthews, president of Dana Power Technologies.  “The possibilities for fuel-cell technologies is very exciting and we believe our expertise in design-to-cost and high-volume manufacturing strongly supports the efforts of Autostack Industry.”

At Hannover Messe, Dana will showcase its e-mobility products, including battery and electronics cooling solutions and fuel-cell components.  Among the fuel-cell components exhibited will be bipolar plates made from stainless steel or graphite composite.  These plates feature integrated sealing and conductive coating technologies and take advantage of the company’s precision stamping and molding, as well as fluid management capabilities to deliver increased performance and reliability at a lower cost.  Other fuel-cell component products Dana will showcase are its charge air coolers and a range of gas-to-liquid cooling solutions, as well as valves.

In addition, Dana will display its thermal management subsystems, which are critical in advanced fuel-cell engine performance.  With state-of-the-art designs, they provide enhanced performance with reduced parasitic energy losses to help customers meet fuel efficiency and durability targets.

Dana first joined Autostack CORE, the predecessor to Autostack Industry, in 2010.  Autostack Industry is comprised of eleven partners, including BMW, Daimler, Dana, Ford, Freudenberg Performance Materials, Greenerity, NuCellSys, Powercell Deutschland, Umicore, Volkswagen and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg with the objective to develop a generic fuel-cell stack.

In 2016, Dana announced it had joined the Project INSPIRE, a consortium made up of Europe’s top fuel-cell catalyst researchers and development organizations along with BMW, to collaborate on accelerating the commercialization of fuel cells.  For its role in this consortium, Dana engineers at its technology center in Neu-Ulm, Germany, will lead the development of an advanced metallic bipolar plate design for automotive fuel cells.

Dana is a proven supplier of solutions for tomorrow’s power sources and has a long history of innovation in fuel-cell product technologies.  The company has displayed these solutions at Hannover Messe for more than a decade.

Dana’s booth (stand B69) at Hannover Messe is located in Hall 27 with the Hydrogen + Fuel Cells + Battery group.

For more about Dana’s fuel-cell and thermal management solutions, visit dana.com.

Be it for torque converter automatic transmissions or continuously variable transmissions (CVT): car manufacturers need transmission control plates (separator plates) for flow control and for sealing off the hydraulic control unit at the same time. The problem: solutions previously available on the market tend to leak, impairing the transmission’s efficiency. Even tiny particles of dirt can damage adjoining components (such as valves), and thus the entire system. Doesn’t it seem obvious that a gasket specialist would put special effort into the development and construction of transmission control plates? That’s just what Dana did. The company has decades of experience in cylinder-head gaskets and is now one of the leading suppliers of metal beaded flat gasket systems.


The starting shot: the establishment of a production facility in Neu-Ulm in 2015

In 2015, US automotive supplier Dana installed a new production plant in Neu-Ulm. It specializes in the production of transmission control plates and meets the strictest cleanroom requirements. The entire production and assembly is fully automated. Even quality control is handled by a camera system, so that trained employees in special clothing only come into contact with the finished and packaged product during preparation for shipping. The machines and lines are specifically designed for movements in the micrometer range. “The presses punch the transmission control plates with maximum precision. Cutting-edge production lines then handle partial coating along the complex seal contours with a special elastomer developed in-house,” explains Robert Blersch, Senior Manager for Products in Transition at Dana. “The result is a reliable seal which can withstand even aggressive transmission oils. With this degree of leak-tightness, the transmission control plate increases the efficiency of the entire transmission and makes a major contribution to modern drive concepts with reduced consumption values and CO₂ emissions.”


Further developments: Production facilities in China and the USA

It wasn’t long before market demand exceeded the initial plant capacity of the production facility in Neu-Ulm. Volkswagen, for instance, now uses the new transmission control plates on a large scale for its DL 382 7-gear dual clutch transmission in models from AUDI. Other original-equipment manufacturers are also requesting large quantities. “For that reason, we expanded production based on the Neu-Ulm model to a Dana plant in Wuxi – a city not far from Shanghai in the Jiangsu province,” explains Robert Blersch. This puts global production volumes in the range of several million transmission control plates per year. And that will continue to rise. “Against the background of rapid and sustained growth in Europe and China, we are also thinking about serial production in North America. 95 percent of the automobiles there run with automatic transmissions. We would also integrate production into Dana’s existing production facilities.”


A brief description of transmission control plates

Modern automatic transmissions have to enable more and more shifting operations in shorter and shorter reaction times. This poses a big challenge for the transmission’s hydraulic system. At its core is a hydraulic shifter and an electronic transmission control unit comprised in a single mechatronics module. While the control unit continuously calculates the most efficient gear during the trip, the hydraulic shifter takes care of implementing it. And where is the transmission control plate located? Directly in the hydraulic module. It controls the flow of transmission oil through the flow channels to control the automatic transmission. At the same time, it seals off the entire system inside and out.

Read the comprehensive report of MTZ 09 September 2017:
Disc Type Centrifuges for Cleaning Blow-by Gas at PC Engines

Source: https://www.springerprofessional.de/link/14231538

Dana's multi-layer steel transmission pump gasket is a five-layer gasket that improves performance and fuel economy for vehicles with higher-speed transmissions.  The innovative gasket provides a robust solution that increases durability, minimizes contact stress, and meets the needs of higher operating pressures.

 

"Dana is honored to earn this prestigious award in recognition of our commitment to providing our customers with innovative solutions that address many of the biggest challenges facing the global automotive industry today," said Dwayne Matthews, president Dana Power Technologies.  "This award is a testament to the expertise and collaborative spirit of Dana's world-class engineering team.  Their unwavering dedication to developing cutting-edge solutions will continue to drive the future of our company, and the automotive industry as a whole."

 

Dana was the only supplier to have three technologies named as 2017 PACE Award finalists, with its adaptive air/oil separation system and its Spicer^® OpTiMa™ tire pressure management system also recognized by the judges.  This marks the sixth consecutive year that Dana has been named a finalist for the PACE Awards.  Only six global automotive suppliers have achieved this distinction.

 

About the Automotive News PACE Awards
The Automotive News Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence (PACE) Awards is recognized around the world as the industry benchmark for automotive innovation.  PACE Awards are awarded to international automotive organizations for bringing game changing innovation to their OEM customers and the automotive industry.  The PACE Awards Program welcomes entries from all suppliers to automotive OEMs.  Applicants and winners have come from six continents including large and small companies supplying production parts, materials, capital equipment and services.  The award is presented by Automotive News, Ernst & Young, OESA, and SAE International.

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline and 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, named the North American Truck and Utility Vehicles of the Year at this year's North American International Auto Show, incorporate Dana's high-performing technologies into their powertrain assemblies.  The Honda Ridgeline features Dana's Victor Reinz^® cam cover module on its 3.5L V-6 engine, and Victor Reinz^® heat shields are incorporated on the Chrysler Pacifica.

Motor Trend's Truck of the Year, the 2017 Ford Super Duty, boasts a variety of Dana's leading driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies.  Specifically, Dana supplied its Spicer^® front and rear axles, as well as Spicer^® propshafts, for the 2017 F-250 through F-550 models.

In addition, Dana supplies exhaust manifold, exhaust gas recirculation, and turbo gaskets; thermal-acoustical protective shielding (TAPS); and charge air, transmission oil, engine oil, and diesel fuel coolers for the Ford Super Duty 6.7-liter diesel engine.  Dana's valve stem seals, transmission oil cooler, and plastic cam covers also are incorporated into the 6.2-liter gas engine.  Together, these technologies help the automaker meet industry demands by improving fuel economy and engine durability, and by reducing oil consumption, weight, and emissions.

Multiple Dana solutions were also integrated onto this year's Wards 10 Best Engines.  Included among these are Dana's Victor Reinz^® exhaust manifold gaskets, which deliver peak performance and withstand temperatures up to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Also, Dana's Long-brand engine oil cooler helps to properly utilize energy and improve fuel economy while reducing emissions.

Dana technologies on the 2017 Wards 10 Best Engines include:

• Chevrolet Volt 1.5L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor EREV – Equipped with Victor Reinz TAPS and valve stem seals.
• Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid 3.6L DOHC V-6/Dual Motor PHEV – Features Victor Reinz heat shields.
• Ford Focus RS 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. – Equipped with Long engine oil cooler and Victor Reinz cylinder head, exhaust manifold, and secondary gaskets.
• Honda Accord Hybrid 2.0L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor HEV – Includes a Victor Reinz cam cover.
• Infiniti Q50 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 – Equipped with Long engine oil cooler.
• Mercedes-Benz C300 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. – Utilizes Victor Reinz secondary gaskets and TAPS.

"Having the honor of being a part of these industry-leading vehicles and engines speaks to the culture of innovation and customer service at Dana," said James Kamsickas, president and chief executive officer of Dana.  "Every day we strive to develop technologies that will help our customers meet their performance and efficiency goals.  It is a privilege to have had the opportunity to help power these well-deserving award recipients."

About the North American Car and Truck of the Year
The North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards honor excellence in innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction and value.  Initiated in 1994, they are judged by about 60 professional automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who work for magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites. They are the longest-running award not associated with a specific publication, a structure that produces a diverse base of jurors. This year's winners were announced on Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

About Motor Trend's Truck of the Year
The Motor Trend Truck of the Year awards are selected by Motor Trend Magazine to recognize the best new or significantly refreshed truck in a given model year.  The contenders are ranked in superiority, significance, and value.

About Wards 10 Best Engines
The Wards 10 Best Engines competition, now in its 23rd year, continues to recognize the industry's latest powertrain technologies, based on horsepower and torque; technology; efficiency; and NVH performance.  The awards were presented on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Motor B37

• 1.5 l three-cylinder in-line engine (diesel) with 70 kW (95 HP) or 85 kW (116 PS)
• used, for example, in the 214d Active Tourer, Mini One D, 116d, 216d Gran Tourer and Mini Cooper D
  
  

Motor B38

• 1.2 l three-cylinder in-line engine (gasoline) with 55 kW (75 PS) and 75 kW (102 HP) or 1.5 l three-cylinder in-line engine (gasoline) with 75 kW (102 HP) to 170 kW (231 HP)
• used, for example, in the Mini One, 216i Gran Tourer, 116i, 118i, 218i Active Tourer, 318i, X1 sDrive 18i, Mini Cooper and i8
  
  

Motor B48

• 2.0 l four-cylinder in-line engine (gasoline) with 135 kW (184 HP) to 190 kW (258 HP)
• used, for example, in the 320i, 220i Active Tourer, Mini Cooper S Cabrio, 125i, X1 xDrive 25i, Mini John Cooper Works and 730i/Li
  
  

BMW engines have a compact design, achieve high performance per liter of displacement, produce maximum peak injection pressures and exhibit different combustion chamber diameters. In addition, they feature specific designs with an open oil channel across the entire width of the gasket and valve bags. Altogether, a true challenge for the gasket specialists from Dana.

In the basic design, the engineers from Neu-Ulm developed a multi-layer steel cylinder-head gasket (MLS) with identical top and bottom sheets for gasoline and diesel engines for the BMW modular engine unit. Partially coated stainless steel 1.4310 with different thicknesses is used. To seal the combustion chamber of gasoline engines Dana uses the wave stopper® technology while distance sheet stoppers are used for diesel engines. With gasoline engines, backland stoppers seal the balance of the gasket in addition.

Because of the specific requirements of the new BMW engine generation, the gasket experts had to take entirely new development approaches. Standardized safety distances for beads and bore holes to adjacent functional elements were completely reassessed. Expanded basic development helped in addition to ensure the enhanced requirements. Manufacturing methods considered so far not feasible produced outstanding sealing results, especially when punching backland stoppers. All development steps were assessed first via FE analyses and implemented upon agreement with BMW, tooling procurement and production.  

"The cooperation with BMW is always a special challenge to us, however, it also allows us advancing together with BMW. The tasks presented to us require our entire engineering development know-how", says Hans-Dieter Waltenberg, project manager at Dana in Neu-Ulm. "When BMW is then satisfied with our solutions in the end, both sides are winners."

Currently, the development and optimization work for the 2nd generation of the BMW modular engine unit is underway. Especially the 2.0 l four-cylinder in-line engine (gasoline) requires beads and additional backland stoppers.

Dana’s exhibit attracted show attendees with many new products, including a new Spicer® Medium Duty Commercial Vehicle Series driveshaft for the Mercedes Benz Sprinter, recently introduced online catalog, and interaction with their on-site technical experts from every region.  Visitors were pleased with Dana’s exceptional hospitality and dynamic nature of the exhibit, which created key opportunities for Dana to interact with current customers, and attract and inform potential new customers from around the globe.

By bringing their Victor Reinz®, Glaser®, and Spicer® product lines into one exhibit, Dana was able to showcase its diverse product portfolio and introduce comprehensive solutions for their customer’s driveline and sealing needs.

Among the attractions at Dana’s exhibition space was an Audi V6 3.0l TFSI engine.  The engine, features Dana’s Victor Reinz® Multi-Layer Steel (MLS) Power Wave cylinder-head gasket, with Dana’s patented Wave-StopperTM  sealing technology around the combustion chamber to prevent leakage.  This unique gasket is enhanced to sustain high-pressure sealing even at the most extreme temperatures and engine forces, and can be tailored to suit almost any engine configuration.

Visitors also were able to get instant access to the comprehensive Victor Reinz®, Glaser®, and Spicer® product ranges through the company’s recently-introduced, well-received online catalogs. This regularly-updated tool allows customers to easily view and order Dana Aftermarket products. Features include technical bulletins, specifications, and installation videos for certain products.

Dana’s continued presence at Automechanika is testament to the company’s commitment to offering advanced technologies that meet customer needs, and offer high-quality original equipment solutions that meet top performance standards.

This year’s Automechanika Frankfurt hosted approximately 136,000 visitors from more than 170 countries, with a record of 4,820 exhibitors. Numerous exhibitors reported that the quality of their interaction with visitors was exceptionally high, and event organizers reported that visitor satisfaction for the event was 95 percent, with more than 80 percent of exhibitors reporting that they were able to effectively reach their visitor target groups at the show.

"Dana has long been the premier original-equipment supplier of gaskets and sealing solutions for virtually every major vehicle manufacturer in the world," said Dwayne Matthews, president, Dana Power Technologies Group.  "Our expertise and knowledge of the market will again allow our customers in North America to get as close to Dana as possible.  This means better service and technical support, and a more cost-effective solution by eliminating a party in the distribution process."

Victor Reinz gasket sets are known worldwide for meeting the highest standards of quality while addressing specific needs of the aftermarket, such as gasket set contents, packaging, labeling, cataloging, and vehicle coverage.

"Dana is proud to be the complete solution provider for our Victor Reinz products for the global aftermarket," said Doug Wolma, vice president and general manager of the Dana Aftermarket Group.  "Aftermarket customers can be assured that the type of quality, technology and manufacturing excellence that is needed at the OE level is reflected in every Victor Reinz gasket set sold in the aftermarket."

CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers.  The award was presented to Dana representatives on March 17 during a ceremony in Brussels. The CLEPA Innovation Award recognizes the innovation capabilities of automotive suppliers with a presence in Europe.  Receiving this accolade is a reflection on Dana's ability to effectively work with original-equipment manufacturers to develop game-changing technologies.

Specific to this technology, Dana proactively developed the solution to an industry-wide need – to meet higher sealing requirements in advanced transmissions – and approached Audi with its transmission plates concept.  Audi then became integral in working with Dana to develop the MLS innovation through a high level of collaboration, open discussion, and teamwork across various positions.  The plates were introduced on Audi's new S tronic dual-clutch transmission for the Audi A4 through A7, as well as the Q5.

"We are honored to have received this top recognition from such a prestigious association of automotive suppliers for our cooperation with Audi," said Dwayne Matthews, president, Dana Power Technologies Group.  "We pride ourselves on our ability to work closely with valued customers such as Audi to design and manufacture technologies that meet their unique needs and provide exceptional performance in customer-specific applications."

Dana's Victor Reinz^® transmission separator plates enhance the sealing capabilities of transmissions by providing up to three times the sealing pressure for multi-speed, continuously variable, and dual-clutch transmissions.  By finding a solution that replaces the traditional single-layer valve body plates with bonded gaskets, Dana is able to not only enhance the sealing, but also provide increased performance and durability.  Additionally, by allowing for optimized channel paths and smaller valve bodies through the reduction of fasteners that can interfere with desired flow paths, Dana achieves zero seal erosion, resulting in improved cleanliness and efficiency.

The MLS transmission separator plates were developed at Dana's technical center in Neu-Ulm, Germany, and are produced at its facilities in China, Europe, and the United States.

Dana also was awarded a 2015 Automotive News PACE Innovation Partnership Award for its collaboration with Audi in launching the MLS separator plates.

About CLEPA Innovation Awards
The CLEPA Innovation Awards, jointly supported by CLEPA and Deloitte, recognize the efforts and achievements of outstanding sustainable automotive supplier's innovation, and cooperation with vehicle manufacturers and business innovation.  The jury is composed of experts from European associations and universities, the automotive industry, and research organizations.  First, second, and third place awards were distributed in four categories – green, safe, connected, and cooperation – and evaluated based on ambition, market relevance, impact, and quality.

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Please click on image

“This acquisition fits well with Dana’s growth strategy and our company’s global position as a preeminent supplier of gaskets and sealing technologies for original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket,” said James Kamsickas, Dana president and chief executive officer.  “The Magnum Gaskets brand has grown aggressively over the past few years, and in this acquisition we see great value for our customers and our shareholders.”

The Magnum Gaskets brand offers a broad range of gasket solutions, including cylinder head, valve cover, oil pan, and manifold gasket sets for the North American automotive aftermarket.  Distribution of Magnum Gaskets to existing customers will not be disrupted during the acquisition.

“The aftermarket sealing business is a priority for Dana, and we are proud to add Magnum Gaskets to our portfolio of well-respected aftermarket brands, expanding Dana’s market position as a world leader in gasket and sealing technologies,” said Doug Wolma,  vice president and general manager of the Dana Aftermarket Group.  “We are pleased to have another outstanding product offering within our aftermarket business to better meet our customers’ needs in North America and around the world.”

Located in Bannockburn, Illinois, Magnum Gaskets was purchased from Modern Silicone Technologies Inc. (MSi^TM), a leading American contract manufacturer of high-tech molded gaskets with a focus on liquid silicone rubber injection molding and liquid silicone rubber over-molding onto rigid substrates.

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Magnum Gaskets

The Magnum gaskets brand features complete gasket sets of world-class quality for domestic and imported cars and light trucks, including diesel and performance coverage.  For more information, visit www.magnumgaskets.com.

About Dana in the Aftermarket

Powered by recognized brands such as Dana®, Spicer®, Victor Reinz®, Glaser®, GWB®, Thompson®, TruCool®, SVL® and Transejes®, Dana delivers a broad range of aftermarket solutions – including genuine, all makes, and value lines– servicing passenger, commercial, and off-highway vehicles across the globe. Leveraged by a global network of 13 distribution centers, Dana’s dedicated aftermarket team provides technical service, customer support, high fill rates, and on-time delivery to customers around the globe. For more information, please visit www.dana.com/aftermarket.

About Dana Holding Corporation

Dana is a global leader in the supply of highly engineered driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies that improve the efficiency and performance of vehicles with both conventional and alternative-energy powertrains.

Serving three primary markets – passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway equipment – Dana provides the world's original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket with local product and service support through a network of nearly 100 engineering, manufacturing, and distribution facilities.

Founded in 1904 and based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 23,000 people in 25 countries on six continents.  For more information, please visit dana.com.

With the release of the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell and Toyota Mirai, and with other leading automakers working to introduce fuel-cell vehicles to market, the need for high-volume fuel-cell manufacturing is growing.

To supply enough power for a vehicle, multiple individual fuel cells must be assembled into a fuel-cell stack.  Bipolar plates – which distribute fuel, air, and coolant to each of the catalyst-coated membrane cells – are a critical component in any fuel-cell stack.

By improving manufacturability, sealing and durability, Dana’s metallic bipolar plates help make the commercialization of fuel-cell powertrains possible.

“Only Dana offers customers a complete integrated solution, and that’s what makes our product so valuable,” said Dana Power Technologies Group President Dwayne Matthews.  “Automotive manufacturers require customized solutions, and Dana alone has the design and manufacturing capabilities to quickly bring fuel-cell solutions to market.”

Each repeating cell in a fuel-stack engine is made of a bipolar plate and a membrane electrode assembly.  The bipolar plates are laser-welded assemblies that combine flow-field channels for gas distribution, as well as internal coolant passages.  Features of Dana’s bipolar plate also include proprietary conductive coatings and combined seals.

Dana’s ultra-thin bipolar plates with durable conductive coatings provide best-in-class power density and a long life span.  Plus, Dana’s patented integrated sealing technology features a flexible bead structure able to seal under light compression loading, which is critical to stack assembly reliability.

Over the past 15 years, Dana has been developing its metallic bipolar plate technology to meet the stringent power density, durability, and cost requirements of fuel-cell stack integrators.  The company was one of the first to launch serial production of its metallic bipolar plates, which are cost-effectively produced to scale in Neu-Ulm, Germany.  Dana has robust production processes in operation, which can be scaled to produce automotive-quality parts in large quantities.

The company’s contributions to fuel-cell commercialization are being demonstrated to the world via the European Union’s co-funded Auto-Stack CORE project.  Launched in 2013, Dana has partnered with a coalition of 14 organizations – including BMW and Volvo, along with fuel stack integration supply industries and research institutions – to develop best-in-class automotive hardware for fuel-cell vehicles, including a powerful 95kW fuel-cell stack.

Dana’s bipolar plate expertise is enabling the process to be cost-effective for production volumes.  With unprecedented gains demonstrated in power density, performance, and durability, Phase 1 of the project has achieved its objectives.

“Another manufacturer may be able to perform stamping or joining, but only Dana’s bipolar plates represent a cost-effective and complete product solution,” said Matthews.  “We provide customers with a high-quality Dana standard product – with integrated coating, sealing, and design features – that is then customized to solve a specific engineering challenge.”

By offering a cost-effective bipolar plate product that meets all customer requirements, Dana is helping to develop the growing global fuel-cell industry.



Leveraging Dana’s plate, sealing, and coating expertise, the company’s metallic bipolar plate technology represents an integrated solution that enables an efficient and cost-competitive product.



Dana's metallic bipolar plates have helped the Auto-Stack CORE network develop a cost-effective fuel-cell stack that achieves improved power density and performance. 

Dana Neu-Ulm opened its doors to greet the employees’ family and friends. Many attractions awaited the visitors there. The tour arranged for the visitors led through many divisions of the company and ended at the festival tent. There, the guests could reflect upon everything they had just learned in a pleasant atmosphere.

 

Once the management had rounded the donation up to € 5,000 after the event, it was handed over in a celebration on October 6, 2015. The symbolic donation check was presented by Kurt Long, who has been the plant manager since September 2015, together with human resources manager Ulrich Semler and marketing manager Carolin Sailer. It was accepted by on behalf of the “Helfen mit Herz” foundation by board member Andreas Heipp, who gratefully thanked Dana for its support.

 

Photo from left to right:

Carolin Sailer, Andreas Heipp, Kurt Long, Ulrich Semler

The production of transmission control plates is subject to demanding cleanliness requirements – even the tiniest particles can permanently damage the functioning of the parts. For this reason, the specially built production facility on the premises of Dana has been adapted to meet the strictest requirements of the automotive industry. The entire production and assembly is fully automatic and uses a newly developed method that guarantees the highest levels of industrial cleanliness. Quality control is conducted by a camera vision system. Individually trained employees wearing special clothing in a clean room prepare the finished, assembled transmission control plates for shipping.

For Bruno Keller, production manager, this process is a further milestone in the production of innovative gasket systems. The Dana development team took advantage of its established knowledge in the field of developing and producing multi-layer-steel cylinder-head gaskets while carrying out its transmission control plate project. The company was one of the first manufacturers to develop and produce metal-elastomer cylinder-head gaskets and is now one of the leading suppliers of metal-elastomer sealing systems. This solution has set the benchmark for the industry thanks to its many innovations. The elastomer coating developed in-house is a decisive prerequisite for the seal and thus for the reliable functioning of the automatic transmission’s hydraulic module. According to Günther Unseld, director, global advanced manufacturing, this is a further step in expanding the technological leadership of Dana.

Victor Reinz^® transmission control plates unlock completely new possibilities for gearbox manufacturers: earlier sealing concepts always exhibit tiny leaks. Dana’s new gasket design offers maximum reliability, improves the efficiency of the entire drivetrain, and thus makes an important contribution to increasing the efficiency of modern drive concepts with reduced consumption value and CO₂ emissions.

With the production of transmission control plates, Dana is tapping into a new field of business with enormous potential for development, since more and more automobiles are equipped with automatic, dual-clutch, stageless or automated manual transmissions. Potential customers include all of the world’s largest automotive and transmission manufacturers. The first serial production orders for a European automobile manufacturer have already come in.

The new production line for transmission control plates is a strong signal from Dana to its subsidiary REINZ-Dichtungs-GmbH. This investment further reinforces the Neu-Ulm location, securing existing jobs and creating new ones. And Neu-Ulm is the starting point for the transmission control plates’ worldwide roll-out. Serial production launch in China is just around the corner, while further market introductions are being planned.

Learn more about transmission control plates

Innovative automatic transmissions combine the advantages of hand-shifted and conventional automatic transmissions in a single transmission concept. More and more shifting operations with shorter and shorter reaction times create a significant challenge for the transmission’s hydraulic system. This system’s control center includes a mechatronics module that combines electronic transmission control and the hydraulic shifter within the gearbox into a single unit. The control unit calculates the most efficient gear, while the hydraulics handle the operation. The transmission control plate is directly placed in the mechatronic unit’s hydraulic module and fulfils a dual function: first, it seals off the entire system inside and out, and second, it controls the flow of transmission oil through the flow channels to control the automatic transmission.

The technology enhances sealing capabilities, durability, and performance in multi-speed, continuously variable, and dual-clutch transmissions. 

The Innovation Partnership Award is presented to OEMs and shared with suppliers for exemplifying superior collaboration during the commercialization process of an innovation.  Dana collaborated with Audi in developing the valve body separator plate technology for advanced transmissions for the Audi A4 through A7, as well as the Q5. 

The valve body separator plates serve as an extremely durable alternative to traditional single-layer valve body plates with bonded gaskets, which have limited sealing capability.  Dana's solution provides up to three times the sealing pressure while optimizing channel paths and enabling smaller valve bodies through the reduction of fasteners that can interfere with desired flow paths.

To achieve optimum performance, the valve body of the transmission separator plates has different sealing channels that carry transmission fluids under pressure to clutch packs, band servos, and hydraulic devices that enable the transmission to shift based on speed, load, and torque.  Dana's advanced plates are fluoroelastomer-coated for micro-sealing in critical areas, providing maximum control of fluids under high pressures. 

"This prestigious award recognizes the significant impact collaboration has on technology development, and we are thrilled to share this honor with an important customer like Audi," said Dwayne Matthews, president of the Dana Power Technologies Group.  "At Dana, we strive to develop unique solutions for customers that address key market drivers, including fuel economy, durability, and performance.  These plates are a perfect example of our engineering team accomplishing this mission."

 

About the Automotive News PACE Awards
The 2015 Automotive News PACE Awards were presented yesterday at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit.  The PACE Awards recognize superior innovation, technological advancement, and business performance among automotive suppliers, and serves as a benchmark award program for automotive innovation.  The awards are presented by Automotive News, Ernst & Young, and Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.).

About Dana Holding Corporation

Dana is a global leader in the supply of highly engineered driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies that improve the efficiency and performance of vehicles with both conventional and alternative-energy powertrains. 

Serving three primary markets – passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway equipment – Dana provides the world's original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket with local product and service support through a network of nearly 100 engineering, manufacturing, and distribution facilities. 

Founded in 1904 and based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 23,000 people in 25 countries on six continents.  Dana recorded sales of $6.6 billion in 2014.  For more information, please visit dana.com.

The company also provided a detailed overview of its fuel cell work as a participant in the Auto-Stack CORE coalition. This coalition aims to establish a core industrial network of highly productive companies and organizations in European fuel cell research. The stack which the coalition developed was on display at Dana’s booth.

Dana also presented its complete range of fuel cell products and thermal management systems in hall 27 of the Hannover Trade Fair. The exhibits included bipolar plates made of pressed graphite composite material, catalytic reactors for hydrogen reforming and fuel cell balance-of-plant components, as well as coolers for lithium-ion batteries and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) used in electronic components for power generation.

“As the demand for clean, efficient resources continues to rise, we at Dana are continuously innovating and focusing on alternative power sources,” said Dwayne Matthews, president of Dana’s Power Technologies Group. “Our contributions to the Auto-Stack CORE coalition serve as impressive evidence of our leadership in this extremely important sector of industry, and we look forward to achieving even greater successes in the near future with this Project."
 

The Auto-Stack CORE coalition is composed of 14 organizations, including original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs), automotive suppliers, and research institutions. Each of them (including Dana) offers valuable expertise in a range of fuel cell capacities. The project was launched in 2013 with the companies collaborating to develop best-in-class automotive fuel stack hardware.

Dana’s most significant contribution to the project, optimized metallic bipolar plates, has assisted the coalition in developing a stack that achieves greater power density and performance than a traditional stack, while reducing the overall cost. The next step will be to enhance each component and ultimately develop fuel cell stack architecture ready for production. The project is expected to be completed with production-capable components in 2016.

In its efforts to make fuel cells safer, more durable and effective, Dana and the Auto-Stack CORE coalition also are working to provide a more cost-effective solution. As a world leader in the development and manufacture of fuel cell stack components, Dana has focused on reducing the costs associated with fuel cell technology, as the company hopes to lower this barrier so that fuel cell vehicles will become much more attractive in the future.

About Dana Holding Corporation

Dana is a leading international supplier of drive trains, sealing systems and thermal management products. The technologies engineered by Dana enhance the efficiency and performance of passenger cars, utility vehicles and off-road vehicles, utilizing both conventional and alternative drive concepts.

Serving three primary markets – passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway equipment – Dana provides the world's original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket with local product and service support through a network of nearly 100 engineering, manufacturing, and distribution facilities.

Founded in 1904 and based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 23,000 people in 25 countries on six continents. In 2014, Dana generated sales of $6.6 billion. Further information can be found at www.dana.com

The expansion of the high-bay warehouse will add 67 m in length, 10 m in width and 19 m in height to make extra storage space for 17,000 Victor Reinz® products. The expected pick capacity is 1.4 million articles removals per year. Together with the existing high-bay warehouse (built in 1984), the Dana service parts warehouse will then have space for 45 million cylinder-head gaskets, oil seals, and turbocharger mounting kits.¹

“The Victor Reinz service part range is constantly being improved and refined and enjoys steady increases in turnover. Roughly 1,000 new items are being added each year. Adding to our high-bay warehouse will enable us to expanding our worldwide aftermarket service even further, keeping a wider variety of service parts in stock and supplying our customers with the speed they’re used to,” explains Bernhard Obermeier, project manager in charge of expanding the high-bay warehouse. “That’s a major competitive advantage!”

The high-bay warehouse is being constructed as a silo with an automated small parts storage system in which shelf structures, walls, and ceiling form a single unit. State-of-the-art storage and retrieval machines transport the article containers at speeds of up to 6 m/s. These newly developed boxes are tailored to the dimensions of current and future articles and make ideal use of our storage capacities.

“Dana is making a clear statement for our location by expanding the high-bay warehouse. And it remains the best way for our customers to get a good gasket,” delights Gustav Schatz, manager of the Aftermarket Logistics division.

¹ A comprehensive overview of the Victor Reinz® product range can be found at: www.victorreinz.com/online-catalog

Dana’s Aftermarket product line

Powered by recognized brands such as Dana®, Spicer®, Victor Reinz®, Glaser®, GWB®, Thompson®, TruCool®, SVL® and Transejes®, Dana delivers a broad range of aftermarket solutions – including genuine, all makes, and value lines–- servicing passenger, commercial, and off-highway vehicles across the globe. Leveraged by a global network of 13 distribution centers, Dana’s dedicated aftermarket team provides technical service, customer support, high fill rates, and on-time delivery to customers around the globe.

Further information can be found at www.victorreinz.com

The gasket specialist has a “Career” section for job seekers listing job openings, apprenticeship and advanced training opportunities. Suppliers will find all information for accessing the Dana supplier world in the “Purchasing” section.

The “General Industry” division is now online with an internet site of its own. The Victor Reinz industrial team offers a wealth of information on high-tech gasket materials and complete gasket solutions at www.reinz-industrial.com. Products range from classic flange gaskets to custom-developed high-pressure hydraulic gaskets.

The website provides customers from all sectors of industry with an overview of the entire spectrum of materials and applications state-of-the-art Victor Reinz sealing technology has to offer. All products and product groups are described in brief and linked to their respective technical data sheets. One of the site’s special highlights is its direct connection to the IGIS^® intelligent material selection program for Victor Reinz materials and gaskets.

The Intelligent Gasket Information System (IGIS for short) is a helpful tool for choosing the ideal gasket material for the specific sealing challenge at hand. In it, the customer chooses the medium to be sealed from a table of roughly 800 different media and then determines the operating points, installed surface pressure, leakage class and approvals. IGIS then provides a list of the most suitable sealing concepts.

The new internet site, titled “Gasket solutions for industrial applications and everyday challenges,” is supplemented by a wide range of services: a program for calculating the sealing surface pressure, case studies on the most successful gasket materials as well as a wide variety of advice and brochures available for download.

Dana’s team of technical consultants and application engineers provides valuable support for the chemical, petrochemical, petroleum and gas industries, as well as for the food sector and shipbuilding industry. Our goal is to provide each and every customer with the best possible advice and sealing solutions, including after sales service. The industrial team also works for strategic partners in the die-cutting industry.

Link to the General Industry division website: www.reinz-industrial.com

Dana's innovative technologies help automakers increase overall vehicle performance and efficiency by maintaining optimum operating temperatures and reducing noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), ensuring a great driving experience for consumers.

"The demand for fuel efficiency and performance are the top drivers in today's market. Dana's technologies are designed to specifically address the weight, space, noise, and performance concerns of our OEM customers, while enabling a quieter and more efficient ride for the everyday driver," said Roger Wood, Dana president and chief executive officer. "The number of award-winning vehicles that contain Dana's innovations demonstrates the standard we set for our products, as well as the dedication of the people who design and manufacture them."

Dana technology is featured on the Motor Trend Car of the Year, the Cadillac CTS. On the HFV6 3.0L and HFV6 3.6L LY7 engines, the technology includes Dana's Victor Reinz® cylinder head gaskets, exhaust and secondary gaskets, intake manifold gasket, heat shields, and valve seals, while the Gen IV 6.0L - LSA engine includes Dana's heat shields and exhaust manifold gaskets. These technologies reduce oil consumption, improve noise, vibration, and harshness, and help protect engine components from extreme temperatures, while ensuring the highest durability.

This year's Motor Trend Truck of the Year, the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, features a Spicer® rear driveshaft, Victor Reinz exhaust gaskets, and Long® active warm-up technology, which significantly lowers fuel consumption and emissions by enabling engines to quickly reach optimum operating temperatures.

In addition, Dana's Victor Reinz cylinder head cover module is featured on Green Car Journal's Green Car of the Year, the 2014 Honda Accord. This was the ninth year for the award, which was presented at the L.A. Auto Show in November.

In addition to these award-winning vehicles, Dana supplies many technologies to the 2014 Ward's 10 Best Engines.

• Audi 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 – Features Victor Reinz cylinder head gasket and secondary gaskets that deliver improved reliability and durability while reducing oil consumption and bore distortion.
• Ram 3.0L Turbodiesel DOHC V-6 – Equipped with Victor Reinz exhaust gasket and Long active warm up that reduce emissions and fuel consumption by enabling engines to quickly reach optimum operating temperatures.
• Fiat 83-kW Electric Motor – Includes Dana's Long battery chiller that helps minimize temperature variation and improve battery operation.
• Chevy 6.2L OHV V-8 – Uses Long engine oil cooler, Victor Reinz secondary gasket and exhaust gasket, and heat shields to lower and control engine oil operating temperature and protect the engine from extreme heat.
• Honda 3.5L SOHC V-6 – Features Victor Reinz cylinder head cover modules providing optimal design performance and improved durability.
• Volkswagen 1.8L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 – Utilizes Long engine oil coolers which lower and control engine oil operating temperature.

Driving Award-Winning Vehicles (PDF)

About Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year
The Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year awards are selected by Motor Trend Magazine to recognize the best new or significantly refreshed car in a given model year. The contenders are ranked in superiority, significance, and value.

About Ward's 10 Best Engines
In its 20th year, the Ward's 10 Best Engines competition continues to recognize the industry's latest powertrain technologies, based on efficiency; horsepower and torque; technology; and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance. The awards were presented on Wednesday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

About Dana in the Aftermarket
Powered by recognized brands such as Dana^®, Spicer^®, Victor Reinz^®, Glaser^®, GWB^®, Thompson^®, TruCool^®, SVL^® and Transejes^®, Dana delivers a broad range of aftermarket solutions – including genuine, all makes, and value lines– servicing passenger, commercial, and off-highway vehicles across the globe.

Leveraged by a global network of 13 distribution centers, Dana’s dedicated aftermarket team provides technical service, customer support, high fill rates, and on-time delivery to customers around the globe.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.dana.com/aftermarket.

From June 3-5, 2014, the company will be exhibiting at the German Pavilion at the Automechanika in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf. In addition to Victor Reinz®,
the Spicer® brand will also be represented
at the trade fair stand in Dubai.

The world’s largest trade fair for the aftermarket sector in the automotive industry will be held from September 16-20, 2014 at the Automechanika in Frankfurt. Dana, the world’s leading supplier of drivetrains, sealing systems and thermal management products, will be presenting a comprehensive product portfolio for the industry. In 2012, the fair was attended by roughly 150,000 professionals in the industry from 176 countries and 4,600 exhibitors from 74 countries.

Right on time for the Automechanika in Frankfurt Dana will once again be presenting its new service part catalogs for the passenger car, utility and agricultural vehicles, as well as its expanded range of turbo kits. The new editions of the catalogs will be available for the first time at the trade fair.

Please make a note of the trade fair dates for 2014 right in your calendar >>

About Dana in the Aftermarket
Dana, a leading supplier of drive trains, sealing systems and thermal management products worldwide, also presents a broad spectrum of high-performance and efficient solutions. The product range of successful brands Dana^®, Spicer^®, Victor Reinz^®, Glaser^®, GWB^®, Thompson^®, TruCool^®, SVL^® and Transejes^® delivers replacement parts of superior quality worldwide. The lineup comprises aftermarket products from original and third-party manufacturers for the maintenance and repair of passenger cars as well as utility and off-road vehicles.

The Dana aftermarket team operates out of 13 distribution centers all over the world and is there to provide personal customer assistance and technical support. Extensive inventories in stock guarantee high product availability with quick delivery times.

Further information can be found at www.dana.com/aftermarket.

This is the only development of its kind in Europe to date. It provides a cylinder-head seal that is thoroughly impermeable to oil at all points where cables run into and out of the engine. A cut-out provides for a protected cable feed-through from the engine management system to the interior of the cylinder head. This is how the electronic connector gasket innovatively unites the functions of sealing, electrical connections, and cable routing in a single product. Dana offers the complete solution of coordinated components under the successful brand name Victor Reinz®. The new gasket with its built-in cable feed-through is already in serial use in diesel engines.

An everlasting connection
The technological highlight of the electronic connector gasket is that it is first media-impermeable connection between an elastomer and a thermoplastic sealing frame made of polyamide for an optimized bond. The firmly bonded connection between the two surfaces does not require any additional primer and provides unimpaired oil resistance and impermeability. Dana procures the polyamide and the elastomer’s base components for the “primerless” connection directly from thermoplastics manufacturer DuPont.

A primer is only used to aid in the 100% jacketing of the pin pack in the area of the electrical feed-through for sealing by the elastomer. The pin pack is a prefabricated unit made up of cables, metal lattices, and crimped or welded plug connections in accordance with OEM specifications.

Savings in a complete package
The electronic engine sealing frame has a compact shape with a low installation height which requires relatively little space when installed. The preassembled electrical components are another major benefit. Every cable and connection is factored into the planning and positioned specifically for each and every engine before the injection molding process is carried out. The cable guides for controlling injection valves, sensors, and actuators, etc., can be routed flexibly for each individual situation at hand. The electronic connector gasket is offered as a complete package, which significantly reduces the installation time for the customer during the final assembly. This means that it's no longer necessary to feed the cable.

High shape retention and durability are further positive features of the engine sealing frame. It is also fully reusable in maintenance cases.

Savings on costs over the entire life cycle of the electronic connector gasket amount to up to 40 percent in comparison with conventional gaskets.

Proven under test conditions
The electronic connector gasket proved itself in a vehicle endurance test of over 240,000 km before ever being put to commercial use. It also passed all commonly used industry standard tests and surpassed their standardised values. Such tests included examinations under dynamic operating conditions, stress from internal engine heat and oil as well as thermal aging. The special rubber composition in particular yields a high level of flexibility and sealant effect under long-term temperature loads of up to 160°C with peak values of up to 190°C.

The new testing center consist of three engine test benches, a hot gas test benches and a vibration test system with a built-in acoustic measurement room. The new building is topped off by installation areas and office spaces and recreation rooms.

“As Dana meets the requirements of the future – especially for customer-specific engine configuration and additional measurement instrumentation such as acceleration and sealing gap measurements,” explains Hans Lintner, the engine test bench project manager. “The new building gives us space for test benches that are nearly twice as large, which puts us in an ideal position to meet all present and future customer requirements.”

The existing test benches for car and truck engines are configured for performances ranging from downsizing power units with an engine displacement of 0.9 l to six-cylinder in-line power trains with engine displacement of 13.0 l.

Whether at the customer's request or for internal research and development purposes, we test the entire Victor Reinz® product range – from sealing, shielding, and valve cover systems for the automotive industry to original service parts for the Aftermarket.

In addition to the engine configuration (including the entire car exhaust system and engine control unit), the new test benches also allow engine-specific cooling circuits to be incorporated into the test environments. This is where we run thermal shock programs with the shortest of cooling cycles and low-temperature cooling systems with engine oil temperatures as low as –20 °C and rinsing procedures with antifreeze cooled down to –30 °C. With its maximum fuel performance of 400 kW and gas temperatures of up to 1,100 °C, the hot gas test bench creates great stresses close to the engine.

Dana uses its vibration test system (which we call “the shaker”) to speed all newly developed items, especially shielding components, up to engine-level vibrations. Modern measurement devices record noise emissions in the built-in acoustic measurement room so that components can be designed to be even quieter in the future.

The new engine and component testing center constitutes the best available technology and meets all requirements placed on Dana, as a professional and dependable OEM development partner. The test benches are also ideally suited to alternative power units and fuels thanks to their engine configuration in the direct proximity of the vehicle and high-grade automation system which enables realistic driving programs and much more.

Technical specifications
On the new engine and component testing center

Dynamometers for car and truck engines

• from 30 to 880 kW
• up to 5,000 nm
• up to 10,000 1/min

Cooling system

• Temperatures in saline solution down to –30 °C
• Engine oil temperatures down to –20 °C

Hot gas test bench

• Fuel performance of up to 400 kW
• Hot gas temperature of up to 1,100 °C
• Mass flow of up to 1,008 kg/h
• Hot gas pressure of up to 3 bar
• Counter-pressure system max. 3 bar at 900 °C

Vibration test system

• 35 kN rated power (sine, random)
• Maximum frequency 2,000 Hz
• Max. amplitude 50 mm
• Max. acceleration 480 m/s²
• Sweep or resonance test program

Continuous refinement and development work has yielded a new version of the successful AFM 34 ME gasket which is finished with a thin and highly flexible coating. The result: significantly improved micro-adjustment and leakage rate.

Moreover, the developers have succeeded in drastically reducing the sheet thickness of the inner flange, while optimizing the flange technology at the same time. This makes the metallic inner flange more moldable than ever before. Another positive effect is that the flange takes much less surface pressure away from the sealing bond when installed. This makes the AFM 34 CO ME the ideal candidate for flange dimensions with low surface pressure.

“Our new flat gasket not only increases leak tightness, it also provides ideal conditions for meeting the latest legislative requirements,” explains application engineer Volker Etzel of the General Industrial Sales department. “The initial guidelines (VDI 2290) call for special mediums which are covered by the German Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft), as well as lower leakage rates which cannot be achieved by conventional flanged gaskets. In this light, our AFM 34 CO ME provides our customers with security.”

The new AFM 34 CO ME flat gasket from the Victor Reinz^® product range is one of the most blowout-resistant gaskets with a stainless steel inner flange for flange connections. The concept offers the greatest possible gas-tightness, even at low surface pressures.

Find out more at: www.reinz.com/brochures/industry

Both versions offer expanded convenience and search functions in addition to the classic catalog in print form. The Victor Reinz® product line app makes it especially easy to find the replacement part you’re looking for.

“Customers can conduct searches using all of the vehicle manufacturers’ OE numbers as well as item, use, comparison or competitor number. If Dana has the part in question in its product line, then the customer will be able to find it,” assures Dana product manager Guido Reiter. “It could be anything from a cylinder head gasket to a turbocharger installation kit; it makes no difference at all. If none of the aforementioned numbers is on hand, then the vehicle’s type number will usually suffice for a successful search,” continues Guido Reiter.

The Victor Reinz® product line app can be found at the app store for download worldwide. It is currently available in German, English, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish. Further languages will be added shortly.

The Victor Reinz® product line app
Scan the QR code with an app such as “Scan” (iPhone).


About Dana in the Aftermarket
Powered by recognized brands such as Dana®, Spicer®, Victor Reinz®, Glaser®, GWB®, Thompson®, TruCool®, SVL® and Transejes®, Dana delivers a broad range of aftermarket solutions – including genuine, all makes, and value lines– servicing passenger, commercial, and off-highway vehicles across the globe. Leveraged by a global network of 13 distribution centers, Dana’s dedicated aftermarket team provides technical service, customer support, high fill rates, and on-time delivery to customers around the globe. For more information, please visit www.dana.com/aftermarket.